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Why this tune? I thought this week’s tune “Once Upon a Summertime” was a fine way to mark the end of the season in Los Angeles, where I’m located at present, preparing to re…

Debates about Jews are never just about Jews.

Why this tune? I wrote this week’s song on a cruise earlier this summer, a Windstar journey from Barcelona to Rome through the islands of the Western Mediterranean. We had a wonderful time on…

Why this tune? I just returned from a enjoyable and intense songwriting workshop on Star Island, New Hampshire Scarlet Keys and Susan Cattaneo, two brilliant writers and teachers, helped us explore…

Why this tune? I’m posting this week from Star Island, New Hampshire, off the coast of Portsmouth. I’m here for a songwriting workshop led by Scarlet Keys and Susan Cattaneo from the Be…

A growing number of former Israeli generals, intelligence officials and prime ministers are accusing settlers in the West Bank of committing ethnic cleansing with government support. “Once a society b...

The president wants the new fleet of aircraft carriers to more resemble those from World War II. Such a change could cost billions.

YouTube video by Oren Levine

Why this tune? This week’s song is one of ten originals I chose to record in October for my next album. I’m traveling to Los Angeles for the sessions, working there with an experienced …

Subway commuters in major cities live by unspoken codes of conduct. In Washington, D.C., a local rule of escalator etiquette inspired jazz musicians Aaron Myers and Oren Levine to write a song.

YouTube video by Aaron Myers - Topic

Why DC riders stand right, walk left on WMATA escalators — the unwritten rule that keeps commuters moving.

Why this tune? I shared an instrumental version of this classic Jimmy Van Heusen song a few years ago. I’m returning to it this week with a vocal version, trying to do justice to Johnny Burke…

Why this tune? I’ve been working on my singing lately, preparing for a recording session in LA in October. I committed to singing two of the ten original songs on my next album, a fun swingin…

We’re in the process of clearing out my late parents’ house in Boston, and in the process discovered these photos from one of Billie Holiday’s last performances, at Boston’s…

Why this tune? This week’s tune marks Bastille Day, the French national holiday, with a silly song about how we rely on a French phrase to start our meals in the USA. I responded to a songwri…

How Democratic voters began to question, and ultimately lost faith in, their party's establishment: a comprehensive history.

"Hey if this is your flyer, I’m not going, I’m not donating, I’m not sharing. Don’t ask me."

Why this tune? Once in a rare while, inspiration strikes and there’s no choice but to follow it. That happened to me on the morning of July 4, when we celebrated the 250th anniversary of the …

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YouTube video by Oren Levine

"Dear PoPville, The Smithsonian folklife festival has moved indoors to the Arts and Industries building, a Victorian exhibition hall - artisans like Hawk Henries (shown above performing on Native flut...

Why this tune? In honor of this week’s celebration of Emancipation Day in the US Virgin Islands and US Independence Day, I’m sharing “Be Free,” a song I wrote back in 2018 f…

A new wave of bands are reaching for the ringing of six strings, the thwack of real drums, and a melody sung straight from the heart.

Why this tune? This week’s tune comes from the songbook of the late great Dave Frishberg, a brilliant pianist and songwriter who passed away in 2021. If you’re of a certain age, you&#82…

Why this tune? This week’s tune “Day By Day” is a popular song from 1945 written by Alex Stordahl and Paul Weston with lyrics by Sammy Cahn. Frank Sinatra and Jo Stafford recorded…

Why this tune? This week’s tune is an update of my Torah Tune for Parashat Pinchas (Numbers 25:10-30:1). It tells the story from Numbers 27 about the five daughters of Zelophehad, who success…

The fearless free-funk and jazz artist, a student of Ornette Coleman's Harmolodics concept, followed his unorthodox path to a singular five-decade career.